Safety pocket construction

ABSTRACT

A Safety Pocket construction having a zipper on the inside pocket of a jacket with the zipper head formed to move toward the armpit to open the zipper. A ring is mounted on the zipper head to enable a pen or pencil to be slid through the ring and clipped onto the pocket to prevent the zipper from being moved until the pen or pencil is removed. In one embodiment here shown, a narrow vertical pocket for accommodating a pen or pencil is formed directly next to the jacket and towards the lapel to permit the pen or pencil to be slid through the ring and clipped onto the narrow vertical pocket to secure the zipper in the closed position to prevent a pickpocket from removing the pen or opening the zipper without the wearer&#39;&#39;s knowledge.

United States Patent [191 Williamson Sept. 17, 1974 SAFETY POCKET CONSTRUCTION [76] inventor: Karl D. Williamson, 1085 Rose Guest Ave" Mountain View Calif 94040 Attorney, Agent, or FlrmSchapp and Hutch [22] Filed: Sept. 10, 1973 57 ABSTRACT 21 Appl. No.: 395,755

v A Safety Pocket construction having a zipper on the inside pocket of a jacket with the zipper head formed [g2] (g1. to move toward the armpit to open the Zippa A ring 251 4 is mounted on the zipper head to enable a pen or pen- 1 5 oil to be slid through the ring and clipped onto the pocket to prevent the zipper from being moved until [56] References Clted the pen or pencil is removed. In one embodiment here UNITED STATES PATENTS shown, a narrow vertical pocket for accommodating a 1,089,203 3/1914 Forman 2/247 pen or pencil is formed directly next to the jacket and 1,922,855 3 -n-m towards the lapel to permit the pen or pencil to be slid 2,111,924 3/1938 Ette through the ring and clipped onto the narrow vertical 250'338 3/1950 F pocket to secure the zipper in the closed position to 2*656579 0/1953 wllson prevent a pickpocket from removing the pen or open- 3,276,086 10/1966 Reese 2/234 g the pp Without the wearerls knowledge.

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 807,220 10/1936 France 2 250 4 Clam, 4 D'awmg F'gures SAFETY POCKET CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a SAFETY POCKET and more particularly to a zipper construction for a garment pocket adapted for preventing the pocket from being picked.

The necessity for preventing pickpocketing is well known. This problem of pickpocketing is particularly acute to travelers and particularly international travelers who carry passports,credit cards and currencies in different denominations. The inside pockets of garments currently in vogue, may be readily picked by the pickpocket inserting his hand inside the pocket and withdrawing the contents thereof. Prior attempts to render these pockets secure have entailed forming special flaps or covers thereon with snaps or fasteners. Such devices may be opened by a pickpocket by simply opening the snap with a single hand and withdrawing the contents. Various such devices have proven to be expensive to construct on the garment and require many additional changes in design of the garment. Moreover, such pockets render it inconvenient for the wearer to obtain access to the pocket.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a safety pocket apparatus having a zipper on the inside pocket of the jacket with the zipper head formed to move toward the armpit to open the zipper. The movement of the zipper toward the annpit in order to open the pocket requires a person desirous of opening the pocket to hold on to the garment in the vicinity of the lapel with one hand and open the zipper with his second hand. The requirement of the use of two hands is simple for the wearer but makes it easier for the wearer to detect any attempt by a thief to pick the pocket.

Further protection is afforded by a ring mounted on the zipper head for engagement with a pen or pencil. In one embodiment the mouth of the pocket is slightly wider than the length of the zipper to permit the pen or pencil to be slid through the ring on the zipper head and secured on the pocket at the end of the opening toward the lapel. The clipped pen or pencil serves to secure the zipper against unauthorized opening of the pocket. In order to open such a pocket, a pickpocket must first unclip the pen or pencil and then use two hands to open the zipper.

In an alternative embodiment, a narrow vertical pocket formed for accommodating a pen or pencil is positioned next to the inside pocket on the side toward the lapel. The barrel of a pen or pencil may be slid through the ring and the pen or pencil may be secured onto the narrow vertical pocket by the usual clip so that in order for a pickpocket to open the pocket, he must first unclip the pen or pencil, remove the barrel of the pen or pencil from the ring on the zipper head, hold the garment in the vicinity of the lapel with one hand and open the zipper with the other hand. Since the pocket is on the inside of a garment, presumably a pickpocket would not be aware of the difficulties in picking the pocket until his attempt to steal the contents was begun. As soon as he encounters difficulty in opening the pocket, the pickpocket desists. Should he persist, the user of the garment can readily detect and apprehend or otherwise foil the pickpocket because of the length of time required to remove the pen or pencil, grab the lapel with one hand and open the pocket with the other.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a safety pocket for a garment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide zipper means for the inside pocket of a garment formed to open in the direction of the users armpit to foil attempts of pickpockets to open the pockets.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a zipper for the inside pocket of a garment with the length of the zipper being slightly less than the width of the pocket.

Still another object is to provide a zipper for the inside pocket of a garment and having a head with a ring mounted thereon in which the barrel of a pen or pencil may be slid and clipped on to the pocket to render the pocket secure from pickpockets.

Yet another object is to provide a narrow vertical pocket at the end of an inside pocket of a garment in which an elongated object may be inserted for securing a ring on a zipper formed for closing the garment pocket.

Further objects and features of advantages will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of the pocket of the present invention on a users garment;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the present invention with a portion broken away and showing the narrow vertical pocket on the side of the safety pocket;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane of line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the present invention with the mouth of the pocket formed slightly wider than the length of the zipper.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a pocket 10 of the present invention formed on a garment 11 with a zipper 12 formed to move toward the armpit of the user and having a ring 14 mounted thereon for opening the zipper. The zipper is opened by grasping the lapel of the garment with one hand and the ring 14 of the zipper with the other to slide the zipper toward the users armpit. The requirement of the use of two hands to open the pocket permits the user of the garment to readily detect an attempt by a thief to open the zipper and pick the pocket.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the mouth of the pocket 10 is slightly wider than the length of the zipper 12 to permit an elongated object such as a pen or pencil 13 to be slid through the ring 14 on the zipper and secured to the pocket by a standard pen or pencil clip 16 at the end toward the lapel. In order to open the pocket 10 with the pen or pencil 13 in the position shown in FIG. 4, a pickpocket must first unclip the pen or pencil 13 and use two hands to open the pocket. Presumably a user could detect a surreptitious entry to the users pocket before a thief finished this procedure to open the pocket.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a narrow vertical pocket 17 is formed on the side of the pocket 10 for accommodating an elongated object having a clip on it such as a pen or pencil 18. A zipper 19 having a ring 21 mounted on the head thereof is formed on the mouth of the pocket 10. The pocket may be secured by closing the zipper and sliding the barrel of the pen or pencil 18 through the ring 21. The ring may be slid under a clip 22 of the pen or pencil and the clip in turn may be secured onto the outside of the pocket 17 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The pocket thus secured, could not be opened by a pickpocket merely inserting his hand into the inside of the users garment. The pickpocket would first have to unsecure the clip 22 from the vertical pocket 17, slide the pen or pencil 18 out of the vertical pocket and unzip the zipper 19. Since the zipper 19 is formed to move toward the armpit to open the zipper, it would require one hand of the pickpocket to hold the lapel and the second to unzip the zipper. Since the pocket is on the inside of the garment, presumably a pickpocket would not be aware of the difficulties in opening the pocket until his attempt to steal the contents was begun. A user could readily detect and apprehend a pickpocket in the length of time required to open the pocket in this manner.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. For example, the invention has applicability to any inside pocket of a garment to render the pocket secure from unauthorized entry by forming the zipper on the pocket to open in the direction opposite to the direction of the edge of the garment. Moreover, although the preferred embodiments disclose a ring formed on the head of the zipper, any apertured member may be used for engaging an elongated object having a clip means for securing the pocket. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim:

1. A safety pocket constructed for preventing unauthorized entry into an inside coat pocket, comprising a zipper having its toothed members mounted on the opposite side of the opening of said pocket,

a slider cooperative with said toothed members to close the opening when said slider is moved in a direction toward the frontal opening of the coat,

an apertured member secured to said slider and sized to encircle the barrel of a writing instrument, and

means for holding the writing instrument in the pocket against lateral movement whereby engagement of the writing instrument through said apertured member and insertion of the instrument to the pocket prevents sliding movement of said slider along said toothed members and secures said zipper against opening until the writing instrument is removed from the pocket.

2. An apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein the length of said zipper is slightly less than the length of the pocket opening.

3. An apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said safety pocket is an inside pocket of a jacket coat located approximately between the frontal opening and the sleeve armpit junction of the jacket, and said zipper is oriented to open upon movement of said slider towards said sleeve armpit junction.

4. An apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said pocket comprises adjacent wide and narrow compartments for the contents of the pocket and the writing instrument respectively, whereby said narrow compartment serves to hold the writing instrument to retain said slider against movement to open said zipper. 

1. A safety pocket constructed for preventing unauthorized entry into an inside coat pocket, comprising a zipper having its toothed members mounted on the opposite side of the opening of said pocket, a slider cooperative with said toothed members to close the opening when said slider is moved in a direction toward the frontal opening of the coat, an apertured member secured to said slider and sized to encircle the barrel of a writing instrument, and means for holding the writing instrument in the pocket against lateral movement whereby engagement of the writing instrument through said apertured member and insertion of the instrument to the pocket prevents sliding movement of said slider along said toothed members and secures said zipper against opening until the writing instrument is removed from the pocket.
 2. An apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein the length of said zipper is slightly less than the length of the pocket opening.
 3. An apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said safety pocket is an inside pocket of a jacket coat located approximately between the frontal opening and the sleeve armpit junction of the jacket, and said zipper is oriented to open upon movement of said slider towards said sleeve armpit junction.
 4. An apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said pocket comprises adjacent wide and narrow compartments for the contents of the pocket and the writing instrument respectively, whereby said narrow compartment serves to hold the writing instrument to retain said slider against movement to open said zipper. 